Author: Elizabeth Blessing
-
Food stamp recipients ages 18 to 64 with no child under 14 must work 80 hours a month or lose SNAP after three months in three years unless exempt
Adults on food stamps who are 18 through 64 and have no child under 14 in their SNAP household now face a time limit: three months of benefits in any three years unless they work, train or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month. The age ceiling used to be 54. It rose to…
-
Connecticut exempts Social Security from state tax below $75,000 in income, $100,000 for couples
Connecticut does not tax Social Security benefits for most retirees, but the exemption has income limits. The state Department of Revenue Services says benefits are fully exempt when federal adjusted gross income is under $75,000 for single filers and under $100,000 for married couples filing jointly. Above those lines, the exemption shrinks. Where the $75,000…
-
Texas food stamp households paying only for a phone get a $64 utility allowance
A Texas food stamp household whose only utility cost is a phone bill gets a smaller allowance than one that pays for electricity or gas. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission lists that figure as $64, in a Texas Works Handbook revision effective October 1, 2026. The handbook calls it a “telephone standard deduction…
-
Broward County homeowners who use a wheelchair or are legally blind have until March 1 to file for the full disability exemption that capped income at $37,712
Broward County owners who are totally and permanently disabled have a second property tax break to consider this winter, and it comes with its own income test. For the 2027 tax year, the Broward County Property Appraiser says the full disability exemption is open to owners who use a wheelchair or are legally blind, with…
-
The VA warns veterans that phishing texts, AI deepfake calls and malicious QR codes are being used to steal veterans’ sensitive information
Veterans are being told to treat unexpected VA texts, phone calls and QR codes with suspicion. In a fraud alert posted September 25, 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs described phishing texts, AI-generated deepfake phone calls and malicious QR codes as tools used to get at sensitive information. The VA also gave veterans a number…
-
Wartime veterans and surviving spouses with limited income can draw a VA pension, with extra for those who need daily help
The Department of Veterans Affairs pays a monthly pension to some wartime veterans and their survivors who have limited or no income. Veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities, or who are housebound, can apply for extra pension on top of it. The VA’s pension page, last updated July 24, 2026, lays…
-
Social Security added 17 million missing death dates to stop improper payments
Social Security says it has added 17 million missing dates of death to its records. The agency announced the work on October 20, 2026, calling it the most comprehensive clean-up of Social Security number records in its 91-year history. Accurate records, the agency says, help prevent improper payments of taxpayer dollars. The announcement covers more…
-
Social Security pays divorced spouses before the ex files once divorced two straight years
An ex who keeps working past 62 does not hold up a former spouse’s Social Security check. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide says a divorced spouse can receive benefits on the ex’s record even if the ex has not started collecting. The condition is that both people are at least 62 and have been divorced…
-
Social Security pays adults disabled before 22 on a parent’s record at any age
A son or daughter who became disabled before turning 22 can be paid on a parent’s Social Security record at any age, long after the usual cutoff for children. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide lists a child who is “18 or older and have a qualifying disability that began before age 22” among those who…
-
The IRS lets retirees who turn 73 in 2026 wait until April 1, 2027 for their first required withdrawal, but then two are due in one year
Retirees who turn 73 in 2026 get a choice that comes with a catch. The IRS lets them wait until April 1, 2027 to take their first required withdrawal from a traditional retirement account. Waiting means two withdrawals land in the same calendar year, the first by April 1 and the second by December 31,…